


think of us smiling, facing the days that will shine

by seasideshell



Series: tonight (with you) [1]
Category: NU'EST, Produce 101 (TV)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Fluff, Light Angst, Never team, bae jinyoung mentioned, ha sungwoon mentioned, hugs and kisses, jung sewoon mentioned, justice league team - Freeform, park jihoon mentioned, sorry sorry team 2, without hyunbin sorry, yoo seonho mentioned
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-24
Updated: 2017-07-01
Packaged: 2018-11-18 07:10:07
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,043
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11286243
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/seasideshell/pseuds/seasideshell
Summary: backstage, jonghyun goes to find minhyun.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> just something i wrote after watching the final broadcast of produce 101 s2, and later edited when i was less emotional. it's not that good, but it did help me heal a little so i thought i'd share this~  
> sorry in advance for any mistakes you may find..

 

 

he slides up to the group, a small smile on his face, and is greeted with choruses of his name in various forms ( _jonghyun-ie_ , _jonghyun-ah_ , _jonghyun-hyung_ ). daehwi latches onto him immediately, face burying into his chest and jonghyun worries of tears. he doesn't want that, not from daehwi or minhyun or any of his friends; he feels bad enough bringing down the mood of those confirmed for debut.

"can i just borrow minhyun-ie for a while?"

it's supposed to be a question but no one will actually deny this request, when everyone can only guess just how much minhyun wants, and _needs_ , to be with his members right now, alone. so jonghyun detaches daehwi from himself gently, promising to catch up with him, and the rest of the guys, later.

minhyun looks like he's about to cry again, but he follows jonghyun when he takes his hand and heads off.

 

 

they pass by many other trainees, staff, trainers, family members, but no one seems to try to stop the two as jonghyun leads minhyun to a private room, one without the cameras. he collects dongho and minki along the way, his eyes meeting that of dongho and minki's, and without a word, the two excuse themselves from any engagement to trail behind jonghyun and minhyun.

they don't actually speak when they finally get to be alone. jonghyun's still holding minhyun's hand even as they're seated but minhyun's looking away, fighting with himself to keep his tears at bay. minki and dongho are pressed close together, both perched on the dressing table, just waiting in silence, waiting for their leader to speak.

"minhyun-ah..."

all of minhyun's efforts were for naught as soon as he registers jonghyun's voice, and his tears escape once more. in a desperate, and pretty much useless, attempt to stop them from being seen, minhyun tears his hand from jonghyun's and lowers his head even more.

dongho moves first and goes to hug him. minki follows, and so does jonghyun, who just wraps himself around the other three as much as possible, a hand reaching up to find minhyun's head to give his hair a ruffle. they break the embrace soon enough and jonghyun speaks up again, "minhyun-ah, look at me."

never one to deny jonghyun, minhyun does, and is met with that stupid, kind smile on jonghyun's face and his heart just fills with guilt, unjust and so much frustration. he _hates_ how jonghyun is able to smile in this situation, when he deserves to be in the top 11. minhyun _hates_ it, even if that smile is seemingly free of burden and regrets.

"if you say that you're sorry one more time, i'd hit you. and i'd get dongho to throw you that punch that won him that title of punching king."

it makes minhyun keep quiet, of course, with dongho jokingly warming up his arm by swinging it in circles. but minhyun knows that even if dongho won't necessarily punch him with all his intent, jonghyun means what he says.

and jonghyun's punches _hurt_.

"you've worked hard, you deserve this spot. so don't apologise. just, _don't_." minki speaks up then, a firm smile on his face, pretty even with the red tinge around his eyes and nose.

and it all makes minhyun think about how ironic it is that the three who're eliminated are the ones smiling at him, joking with and comforting him, the one who has supposedly 'succeeded'.

"it'll be a burden on you, won't it? since you'll be carrying our dreams as well. but isn't that how we work? _our dreams live on in one another._ so go out there, do your best as usual and show them what nu'est's lead vocalist can do, what nu'est is capable of. you'll live our dreams of debuting again for us, and we'll strive for your dreams of nu'est succeeding for you. we'll always be supporting you, be it together of separate, just like how aaron-hyung has been doing so for us the past few months."

minki and dongho nod in agreement to jonghyun's words. there's nothing much that needs to be added, for jonghyun has pretty much said all there is to say.

"minhyun-ie, we're _proud_ of you."

minhyun doesn't register who says this, but he's crying again at the words.

 

 

after another round of comforting minhyun and a short video chat with their hyung back in the dorms, who teases minhyun for shedding so many tears, minki and dongho leave the room first to allow some time for jonghyun and minhyun. they both know, for most part, that minhyun's tears are due to his feelings of supposedly abandoning his members, leaving them _behind_ while he himself went _forward._

but more significantly, it's because _jonghyun_ was left behind as well.

 

 

they don't say anything when the others leave. jonghyun's leaning against the dressing table now, while minhyun's still in the seat. it seems as if jonghyun's waiting for minhyun to speak though, his soft eyes trained on minhyun's figure. and so this time, minhyun's the one to break the silence.

"jonghyun-ah, i'd really thought you'll be with us, with _me_."

his voice quivers a little towards the end, and he sees jonghyun smile again, a sad one this time.

"i really wanted to be with you too."

jonghyun sniffles slightly, but a smile is still on his face, changed a little, to one that's neither sad nor elated, a hesitant smile jonghyun gives that has been on his face since the start of produce, until he received the recognition he deserved when he placed first on the show. and now it's here again. minhyun put it back on his face, and he hates himself for it.

(he also hates that jonghyun has to put on such a front before _him_.)

"don't smile like this, _please_."

jonghyun only lets out a small laugh and dismisses minhyun's words.

"i am so, so proud of you, minhyun-ah." jonghyun just says.

 

 

"just remember, we'll be waiting for you."

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you reading through till the end. please comment to share your thoughts about this, or anything! 
> 
> after calming down from that emotional ending produce 101 s2 had, i would think that it's a blessing in disguise for nu'est. riding on their popularity after the show, and especially after jonghyun did not make it to the final line-up when everyone thought he would, more would take, and have taken, notice of nu'est as a group. minhyun, in wanna one, will be able to showcase even more of his abilities and charms, allowing more to recognise him. so the way i see it is that even if the ending is sad and a big disappointment, life goes on and even better results may come in the future :) 
> 
> (and i'm actually more upset at the fact that jonghyun would not be able to spend more time with the remaining justice league team and the rest of the 'never' team, since almost all of them were with him right from the start..)


	2. Chapter 2

 

 

when jonghyun and minhyun make their way back to the room, they find jihoon and jinyoung off to the side with minki, hugging the older and chatting. there's a hesitant smile on their faces, as if they were unsure whether they're allowed to be this happy in front of their eliminated hyung. but as jonghyun watches, that hesitation and concern gradually melt away as minki continues speaking, putting their minds to ease, and one can really see that minki's the hyung after all.

dongho's talking with sewoon and sungwoon in a corner, a casual smile on his face as seonho hangs off his sturdy built. dongho lands an encouraging pat on sungwoon's shoulders, who jokingly stumbles from the heavy hit, and they laugh. even as dongho's eyes are red, they smile and chat, taking out their phones and exchanging numbers.

minki has always been close to the two younger boys, and dongho has found friends with amazing vocal abilities and similar interests. jonghyun's heart _aches_ at how minki and dongho, too, have to be separated from the friends they've made throughout this program.

but jonghyun doesn't really have the time to think about it much before he's ambushed by both daehwi, _again_ , and woojin, tackled into a tight hug from his left and right by the two brand new music boys. and it doesn't take long before guanlin, jaehwan, daniel, and seongwoo join them. it's the rest of his sorry sorry team 2 and never members all together, jonghyun realises.

and his heart breaks just a little more.

but jonghyun only smiles that big smile of his, as always. daehwi and woojin releases him soon enough, and it's all jonghyun can do to stop himself from cooing at his boys.

 

 

"even though it's a pity, i don't have any regrets." jonghyun starts speaking, slowly as he organises his thoughts into words, "i had the chance to befriend all of you, to lead, to guide you guys, to share the stage with all of you, and i'm _happy_ already." he's surrounded by the small group, and jonghyun looks at every single one of them, his precious _brothers_ whom he'd once thought will be together with him for the next two years. it's really a pity that they'll be separated, but the gratefulness he feels towards them surges beyond any other emotions at that moment.

"daehwi-ah, seongwoo-ah, guanlin-ie, niel-ah, jaehwan-ie, woojin-ie, and minhyun-ie. for giving me such wonderful memories, thank you."

it's really too much to bear, hearing the words delivered by jonghyun with his soft smile, too _kind_ , too _upsetting._ minhyun, once again, tears up at jonghyun's speech, his emotions bursting over the seams of his worn-out heart. the others are not spared either. daehwi's crying into jonghyun's arm, and woojin's face is sad, tears forming in his eyes.

"woojin-ah, are you crying? ah..." jonghyun reaches one of his hands up to woojin's head, ruffling his hair before gently swiping away the tear that rolls down his face.

daehwi lets out a choked sob too and jonghyun runs his hand across daehwi's back, whispering _"please don't cry..."_ over and over again, trying his best to comfort the younger. seongwoo and jaehwan are tearing up as well, even as they try to hide it by wiping their own tears and patting jonghyun's arms. daniel, as strong as ever, only sniffles and cracks a small, sad smile as he stands by guanlin's side, stretching an arm over to pat jonghyun's shoulders. guanlin's face is blank, but minhyun knows it's his own attempt at hiding his emotions.

 

 

it's only after daehwi's calmed down enough that he asks, "jonghyun-hyung, can i kiss you?". and they all just laugh, the depressing mood broken as the images of jonghyun shying away from daehwi and seonho's over-the-top affections appear clear in their minds; the scene with jonghyun falling off the small stage in an attempt to avoid their kisses and smooches during break time particularly.

(though _everyone_ knows seonho and daehwi exaggerated their affections if only to see jonghyun's cute reactions.)

"okay," jonghyun gives in finally, reluctantly, pressured by the expectant expression on daehwi's puppy face. and so daehwi plants his lips on jonghyun's left cheek happily, stretching himself a little to do so.

woojin swoops in on jonghyun's right cheek then, much to everyone's surprise, before seongwoo, _ever_ the opportunist, declares it's _"kiss the onibugi time!"_ , and proceeds to kiss the top of jonghyun's head, finishing off with a loud _"muah!"._ jonghyun tries to squirm away, letting out indignant noises that fairly resembles a squealing lamb. but he is held tight by woojin and daehwi again, both of whom are grinning smugly this time. daniel takes this chance to step forward and press his lips against jonghyun's forehead. and even guanlin, who's not overly fond of skinship, squeezes in to peck jonghyun's hair. jaehwan too, presses a fond kiss to jonghyun's temple, and when he's done, everyone else turns to minhyun expectantly. jonghyun only buries his face in his hands, _completely_ resigned to his fate.

so minhyun makes his way to stand before jonghyun, with daehwi and woojin finally releasing their hold on jonghyun, trusting that he'll stay put. minhyun gently prys away those small hands covering jonghyun's face, and is met with those beautiful brown eyes when jonghyun looks up at him.

he leans down then, and minhyun's close, too close. jonghyun's eyes flutter shut once more, and minhyun goes to press kisses, gently, one on each eyelid.

it's a little intimate, but minhyun doesn't really care, not when he is able to see the flush spreading across jonghyun's face to the tip of his ears. not when his eyes meet jonghyun's now open ones to convey just how important he is to minhyun.

it's only when the rest of the boys cheer at minhyun's kiss, bringing the attention of the whole room to them that he does care, breaking out of the spell he's set himself under. minhyun feels his face burning as well, and covers it up by laughing loudly, genuinely, as the boys and the rest of the room all wrap themselves around one another, jumping in a circle with jonghyun in the centre, who's laughing as his face turns red again from all the attention.

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks for reading this! i'd be happy to hear any comments or thoughts you may have
> 
> i'd just say that even if produce 101 s2 is over, i'll be writing more of my imagined finale backstage, focused mainly on jonghyun~
> 
> (also, precious justice league on stage for the finale concert <3)


End file.
